*The "up to" speed displayed in Mb is the maximum possible speed you are likely to receive for this product. The actual speed you will get depends on your cabling, your area and (with non-fibre optic products) time of day and how far you are from the telephone exchange. Most providers will tell you the likely speed you will receive when you begin your online sign up - this may differ from the speed displayed in the table.

O2 awards

Fastest Mobile Broadband 2012

O2's average 3G download speed of 3.2Mb was the fastest of all the UK's providers. O2's continued investment in... more »

O2 features

Services

Company history

O2 entered the home broadband market in 2007 before following it up with a mobile broadband service in 2008.

O2, or Telefonica O2 Europe, was established in 2006 when British company O2 merged with the Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica. But the company’s history spans much further back than this. O2 was originally known as BT Wireless and then later as BT Cellnet, this was BT’s first ever mobile network provision service.

However, after a de-merger in 2001, the company gained independence from BT and re-branded as O2. For five years the company maintained this independent status but the recent acquisition by Telefónica has forged links between other European telecommunications companies, particularly in Germany and the Czech Republic.

Today O2 has considerable shares in smaller network providers such as Tesco Mobile and Tchibo Mobilfunk. O2’s latest venture is a further expansion of the company’s horizons; using its telecommunications experience O2 have now developed a brand new home broadband service.

In 2013, O2 sold its home broadband business and customer base to Sky and no longer sells fixed line connections. However, it still offers 3G and 4G mobile broadband and is still a huge player in the UK mobile phone market.

Customer service

Customer service

O2 operates a UK-based call centre which is open around the clock, 7 days a week.

It also maintains a Help section on its website that includes advice on everything from gaming to changing your provider. A useful Broadband Assistant to help find what you're looking for is available to site users.

Equipment

Equipment

O2 mobile broadband deals come with dongles, which provide a mobile broadband connection for a single user, or MiFis, which create a mobile broadband connection for multiple users to connect simultaneously.

Both super-fast 4G mobile broadband and less speedy 3G mobile broadband dongles and MiFis are available.

Customers who already own an O2 dongle or MiFi or who want an O2 SIM to use in their Android tablet or iPad can sign up for a O2 SIM only contract.

Software features

Software features

O2's perks are perhaps the best of any mobile broadband provider.

As well as free Wi-Fi while you're out and about with O2's network of thousands of hotspots, O2 customers get priority booking at O2 venues, discounts on goods and 'experiences' and the chance to get lunch for just £1 on Mondays.

Customer reviews

I have used o2 home broadband since July 08, and I have to say that I have never had any significant technical, billing or customer service problems. Customer service is efficient and helpful...I can't fault o2 broadband at all.

yugocent, 11th February 2012

i took out my o2 broadband from the shop and was told it would be £8.50 per a month. i also have an 02 payg mobile. since then i have nothing but trouble i have been charge £16.50 each month and there custtomer service department are a joke. i am still trying to sort this out 3 months later. deffinetly don't recommend!!!

chris forst, 14th July 2011

have been with 02 a few years now and the service has always been great

heather johnstone, 5th May 2011

Had mobile phone from O2 and you get quite good discount when you get broadband too. Would def recommend.

Sharon Cartwright, 11th November 2010

I've been an O2 customer for four years. Only really use my dongle for emailing and light surfing. But it's never let me down yet.

danny roberts, 19th May 2010

Been with O2 since way back. It's a good, solid service.

I work away a lot and the mobile broadband coverage hasn't let me down yet.

carlos dominguez, 25th April 2010

O2 have said when my broadband checker finnished..."your area is not currently able to use our broadband service" yet I currently have broadband with Bt, how come O2 cant provide the same! or is it a case of bt trying to hinder other providers from giving choice?

N Mackenzie, 14th December 2009

Why it is so bad???? I mean why it is soooo bad?

I have no idea why o2 is soooo much overrated. What's the reason to buy a broadband that works NEVER after 17:00?

What's the reason to sign with a company and when you need help to wait for an hour on the phone and get a clueless person to tell you all the time "your problem is interferance"?

I honestly from deep inside me think o2 is the worst broadband provider in the uk if not in the whole world.

Michael, 1st December 2009

My purchase of the O2 dongle in July this year went very smoothly. However, when I received the dongle I found out that I had no signal in my flat and the dongle was therefore of no use to me. I therefore sent it back and asked for a refund.

Before doing so, I rang O2 to make sure that I was doing everything correctly. And they told me that I just had to return the dongle with a letter including my bank details so that they could refund me. Simple as that. Yeah right.

Its now October and I still haven't had my refund. Ive called O2 a number of times and they always tell me that the money will be in my account in a few days time... it never turns out to be true. I understand that they are trying to make the refund process so annoying and difficult in the hope that I will eventually give up and just say that they can keep my money. But the last thing I want to do is to give my money to a company that shows such incompetence when it comes to treating their customers right.

I have been an O2 mobile phone user for quite a number of years now, and so when my Tiscali broadband became impossible to use I transferred over to O2 for around £7.50 per month - a bargain.

Nearly a year on and I have moved house now to Yaxley and whilst waiting for O2 to set up my broadband I purchased a mobile usb stick from them as they assured me this would be the wisest thing to do and allow me broadband cover whilst in limbo on my landline...

Jeanette Goodman, 23rd May 2009

After 5 good tyears with Eclipse Internet (I'm not slagging them off here at all) I saw the O2 offering just before Christmas. I decided to go for it - and have never regretted my move. I get average 16-17 download and 1 upload.
Customer Service is 0n 0800 and you can understand the nice and helpful people at the other end - they don't read unintelligible 'scripts' to you. When my T-Mobile phone contract ends in July, I will be moving that to O2 as well. Highly recommended.

Alan Martin, 7th May 2009

I got the O2 dongle after a couple of my friends had had problems with other dongles from other providers. From what I can work out, no mobile broadband gives you 100% of the achievable speed of service all of the time, but I've not run into any problems so far - I use it on the train all over the country and have always been able to do what I need to.

Neil Smart, 16th March 2009

I live in a shared house with 4 other people who all use the internet on a wireless network. I have been an O2 customer for almost a year without a hitch - we have had trouble with our connection and internet provider in the past, because there are so many of us using our network for downloading stuff at the same time but so far so good with O2 - I'd reccomend them!

Natalie Harding , 16th March 2009

o2 nearly useless..5-6 weeks with mobile dongle connection..told I would get up to 3.2 mbps..has never run at over 150kbs..in the afternoon it goes off...at this moment 07.26am..35kbs.with interuptions..thats right 1%of advertised speed...trading standards here I come.....I just found out that I must give the service at least one star on the rating or it will not accept my review..so one star....

justin moris, 19th February 2009

O2 is the worst broadband provider I have been with, very slow speeds and disconnections every day. Customer service was very poor and then after 3 months of complaints every day to them they basically told me to find another provider but made me pay the rest of the contract plus £35 compensation to them for leaving early then 2 months later sent me another bill for the o2 broadband box which was £45. I just paid as I wanted to get away from them asap and contacted Trading Standards who have taken the Issue on as o2 have broken several laws when dealing with my complaint. Now back with Tiscali and no more problems.

Gareth, 16th February 2009

O2 is not as good as it sounds; the customer service is in the UK, that's fine but unlimited download with O2 isn't unlimited at all. I got capped for downloading 30G - I don't call that unlimted at all! They told me 2 leave the service as i used p2p software.They were checking everything I was downloading which I think is not fair at all. I've now gone back with tiscali broadband and they are not too bad at all. DON'T GO WITH O2 BROADBAND IF YOU USE P2P AND DOWNLOAD A LOT!!!

tony , 15th January 2009

This is the fastest ADSL service I've ever had - BT say I can get 500k max on my line, so I switched to O2 and I now get 2.5 meg and sometimes over that.

chris, 24th November 2008

Great service! ordered last week was up and running with in 5 days including the weekend, fastest broadband I've ever had, faster than virgin media's standard cable

Dave, 22nd October 2008

Best Internet I had so far in the UK.
My previous ISP couldn't give me 8meg download and 1meg upload. O2 does!!!
And all this for £7.50 / month.
Great stuff, no dropping connection no slow down, just great since June 08

Louis-Philippe Descamps, 29th September 2008

O2 Broadband is amazing at only £10 for 16mb! I've had a few problems with my connection cutting off every now and then, but I called O2's very good customer service from the UK, and figured out that the problem was something to do with my phone line. So I've got nothing to complain about O2 :-). It's much better than my previous broadband providers; Wanadoo, Orange and Eclipse.

Jonny, 16th September 2008

I can not fault O2 broadband at all. They even phoned me to tell me I was receiving a slower connection than I was paying for (it seemed pretty fast to me!). They tried to fix it but when it was deemed that it was outside their control (I think they said something about the BT line) they put me on a lower price plan. They instigated all this - phenomenal customer service!

Andy, 12th September 2008

I've been with Virgin and Sky and now I've just moved to O2 and I'm already highly impressed. The price is fantastic with no catches, broadband goes at its optimum speed, it is compatible with Macs, the helpline is free and the guys are incredibly helpful!

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